More than 1,000 trees came crashing down during last year’s bomb cyclone, littering evergreen matchsticks across the roads.
Even if you didn’t see damage from the storm, it still cost you money through taxes.
Once the millions and millions in damage were totaled up, and our area looked to the place we’d usually get help, we came up empty.
And chances are, you’re still paying for it.
Aside from the considerable damage to private homes and businesses— the state tallied up the damages to public property and clean up.
$34 million in damages to public property across six counties. The majority of that damage was in King and Snohomish Counties.
The entire Washington delegation – republicans and democrats – wrote to the Trump administration, asking for major disaster declaration and federal aid. The response from the acting FEMA director was short - and bitter. Denied.
“It’s just like a second hit after you’re already in a really bad place,” Issaquah Mayor Mary Lou Pauly told KIRO 7 News.
The denial meant that all counties, cities, and local governments must find ways to cover the costs themselves.
For Issaquah—that price tag was $2.4 million.
“This just came out of our general fund, which is like your checking account. It just came out of there and is gone, and therefore, you have to find something else to cut,” the mayor shared.
She said they’re still figuring out what projects will be delayed or unfunded.
KIRO 7 spoke with Eric Holdeman, a 35-year emergency management professional, about why the funding request was rejected.
“I would say, uh, in many respects, it’s the average disaster that’s gotten aid in the past,” he said.
The president has made open threats to withhold funding for blue states.
“We’re only going to cut democrat programs. I hate to tell you, I guess that makes sense, but we’re only cutting democrat programs,” President Trump stated in a news conference last month.
The question: Is that what this is about?
When we asked, the FEMA director would not explain, saying just that assistance was not warranted.
The state emergency management office said they were shocked when the request was denied.
Haldeman said what also stood out to him was how slowly the request was processed. But that might be the new norm. In Doge, he said FEMA staff was reduced by about 25%.
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